THE GIFT OF THE EVANGELIST

Sermon shared by Nigel Heath

THE GIFT OF THE EVANGELIST

Summary: In terms of realized eschatology the kingdom has come, the kingdom is coming and the kingdom will co. Ezekiel's vision of the temple is a picture like that of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and the results that followed.

Summary: In terms of realized eschatology the kingdom has come, the kingdom is coming and the kingdom will co. Ezekiel's vision of the temple is a picture like that of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and the results that followed.

12.6.11THE GIFT OF THE EVANGELISTINTROToday is Pentecost Sunday -- the day in our Church calendar when we remember not so much the Jewish feast, but what took place on that most memorable of all Jewish Pentecost feasts -- the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

POINTSome of us may associate the naming of Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In fact Pentecost was a Jewish feast day that drew thousands to Jerusalem. It just happens that God chose that particular day to pour out his Holy Spirit.

POINTThis morning I am not just going to speak about what happened there and then. I intend to speak about the here and now of what God the Holy Spirit is doing in our world, and what God intends for us through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit today. And we are going to look at both the OT and NT

POINTEzekiel received a vision from God that had both meaning for the people who heard his message, and had further fulfillment in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that began on the day of Pentecost.

READING Ezekiel 47:1-12

OLD TESTAMENT1 FILLED WITH THE SPIRITThe imagery here is an unmistakable description of the power and effect of the Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son and as the giver of life.

CONTEXT1. A VISION OF RESTORATION Let's not forget that the Jews were in Exile in Babylonia. Ezekiel prophesied during the exile.

Ezekiel had already described the vision of the value of the dry bones, asking the question:'Can these dry bones live?'This was a message that was difficult for the people to hear because it was too hard to believe (and too painful if Ezekiel got it wrong)

ILLUSTRIt was a bit like when Loren Cunningham of YWAM prophesied that the Berlin wall would be torn down. The message did not go down well with the German listeners because it would be too painful if the person had got it wrong and their hopes were dashed.

But the vision here of the Dry Bones coming to life is followed up by the imagery of the water flowing from the Temple.

Ezekiel was hearing from God. And the people were restored, just as he had prophesied.

God was indeed going to restore the people to their land and give them new life.

The Vision - A Trickle turning into a torrential flood (even though there were no tributaries).Like the vision of the valley of the dry bones this is SYMBOLIC of RESTORATION. Like will exist again, flowing from Jerusalem, where there was no hope of life existing before.

= The further the water travelled the greater the land flourished. Ankle deep, knee deep, enough to swim in.

APPLICGod is able to restore his presence, giving new hope to his covenant people when hope is gone. This is not a result of human effort but of divine sovereignty.

It is a picture of:HEAVEN INVADING EARTHGod's Kingdom come 'As it is in heaven' when the Kingdom comes in full:cf Rev 22 v1-2 'Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as